Catching Up In My Own Time

Things have been ridiculously busy lately. And when I say they've been busy, it basically means that I need a nap. Busy for our little family is busier than usual, and our usual is busier than most people live with. We do a lot, we take on even more, but we live with the reminder that we are blessed to be able to do as much. so blessed. 

What would a post be without a picture of Cullen asleep in the car? Since giving up naps, Cullen sleeps and/or pretends to sleep in the car on an almost daily basis. 

Just before Valentine's Day, I got an order for these precious cupcakes from a friend of my mom. Karen feels like a second mom of mine, and I was so excited that she trusted me with a fun dessert for her event.  

I've been getting a little bit less detail-oriented for some of my personal activities lately. Like this one. I decided to make Cullen's homemade Valentine's for school. And then I forgot to buy bigger bags to hold lots of Teddy Grahams. We have three boxes, if anyone needs some snacks. Cullen is not even mildly entertained by the tiny bears. 

On Valentine's Day, I got some sweet carnations from the building I work in. I'm not usually a carnation fan, but it was so nice that each woman got two as she walked into work. I trimmed them and put them in a Styrofoam cup at my desk. Just keeping it classy. 

The next morning, I got on a plane bright and early headed for Nashville. For posterity purposes, we have a photo of the plane. Cullen requested proof. 

Katie and I pretty much hit the ground running once I was in town. It was so much fun to see and do so much around Nashville, but it was the best time to spend with Katie. We were college roommates, and I can say, with a significant amount of confidence, that we will be friends for the rest of our lives. I'm beyond blessed to have a girl like her in my life. If you don't have a Katie, go get one. Drop what you're doing. Katies are too important to not have. **To be fair, I have some other really awesome friends. This post is about my Katie time, so I had to brag on Katie today.**

After dropping off all my luggage at home, we went out to lunch at Loveless, followed by the Parthenon, downtown Nashville, Katie's place of work, Vanderbilt, and various attractions. I'm still wanting to go back to Loveless for the biscuits. So much trouble.

In lieu of dinner, we ate popcorn at the movie theater while watching Safe Haven. The last time I saw a chick flick in theaters? I was probably with Katie. And we were probably still Baylor students.

The next morning, we headed out to way too much breakfast and the Country Music Hall of Fame.  

I particularly enjoyed the Taylor Swift display. Shocking, I know.

Katie and I ate a lot, laughed a lot, and spent a lot of quiet moments together. It was such a great weekend. I missed my boys so much, but it was nice to have a weekend away.

During my Saturday night dinner, just hours before I was set to head home, James let me know that the oven caught fire while he was making corn dogs. I actually said before I left, "Don't burn the house down while I'm gone." Joke's on me. Once James confirmed that everyone was fine, the fire did not spread, and the gas was not leaking, I decided not to worry about it until I got home. 

After some of the best hugs I've ever gotten from my boys, we took apart the oven, used a whole lot of Fast Orange, and re-assembled the oven. Then we went out to dinner. While James was at work on Monday, I braved using the oven for the first time post-fire. Luckily, everything went fine, and I managed a dozen breakfast muffins and a few dozen brownies for an order. Not without my own version of courage close at hand. 

Today, I got to buy Cullen a bunch of new underwear. Because he is our child, he is stubborn. He recently decided that he would poop his pants just for fun. I got tired of cleaning them and threw them out like disposable diapers. The new threat in our house is that we're throwing away a toy for each non-accident he has. Let's be honest. They aren't accidents. Anybody want a three year old for an afternoon so I can take a nap? Anybody? 

This weekend is the Rodeo Cookoff, so I'm hoping to take Cullen to the parade Saturday morning. Other than that, it will be re-organizing the closet in our guest room and catching up on DVR. If I'm really lucky, maybe I can get that nap.

xoxo ashley